The Types, Benefits and Drawbacks of the Bezel Setting

The bezel
setting, as you already know, is a type of setting which gets used in
jewelry to fit a precious gemstone onto the band. The metal on top of the band
is wrapped around the sides of the stone to hold it in place. If you plan on
getting something like this for your next jewelry item, it bears knowing a few
things about it first, such as the types of bezel settings, and the advantages you can look
forward to.

Full Bezel vs. Partial
Bezel

A full bezel holds a diamond tightly on all the sides, and
is the most well-known as well as preferred type of bezel setting thanks to the superior protection
it offers to the studded gemstone. Chipping is not an issue you need to be
worried about unless the setting comes loose for some reason.

A partial bezel, on the other hand, holds the gem from
just two opposing sides. That means only close to half of the stone stays
covered at all times by a protective layer of metal. The aesthetic factor goes
up this way, but safety takes a decided dive. This is not recommended for a
delicate gemstone.

The Advantages You Get
from a Bezel Setting

The Stone Stays Well-Guarded: A stone set within a bezel is well-protected, for
obvious reasons. That means you can wear a bezel set ring during a lot more situations, and not
have the gemstone comes loose from minor knocks or get damaged due to chipping.
This works best for stones with under a 7 rating on the Moh’s Scale, such as
Opal for instance.

The Stone Looks Internally Flawless: a lot of the inclusions around the edges of your stone
can be made to disappear by setting it inside a bezel. In some cases you can
even have it look as clear as an IF or Internally Flawless stone, which would
be a lot more expensive.

The Downsides of a Bezel Setting

Waste of Shine: A
bezel blocks much of the light trying to get into your stone, which means it
would sparkle less than if it had been set using, say, four prongs. If you
value looks over safety, then a bezel is not the setting to go with.

High Expense: Bezels
are hard to create, and because of that they are expensive as well. Due to the
amount of labor that goes into creating one, a lot of people stick to buying a
prong-studded diamond or gemstone.

Above was a look at how a bezel setting can and should figure into your
plans for a truly amazing engagement or wedding ring. Be sure to weigh the
points that are the most important to you before making a decision.